Marxist Approach to Law: A Brief Introduction

According to the Marxist Approach law is a tool for the promotion of capitalist
ideology for the benefit of the bourgeoisie but to the detriment of the proletariat. Similarly, he posited that law was at the service of the State for
the perpetration of the interests of the dominant class – the capitalist class.

The Marxist school of jurisprudence was propounded mainly by
Karl Marx. He believed in the utility of multi-disciplinary approach in the
study of phenomena.

He was passionate about effecting revolutionary societal change through the overthrow
of the existing, dominant capitalist order with the aid of knowledge acquired
from multidisciplinary sources.

Against this background, he propounded three doctrines including
dialectical materialism, laws of economic production, and historical
materialism. He continued by stressing the relationship between the
substructure and the superstructure, and asserted that the latter was but a
mere reflection of the former.

It is the submission of Marxists Approach that at a time in the future
when the inherent contradictions within the capitalist system becomes
excessive, and triggers proletarian reaction or revolt, the latter would
ultimately succeed in dethroning the former. At this stage, the State will
wither away, the society will become classless, and law will cease to exist.

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